The First Week Home: Surviving and Thriving

The long-awaited day has arrived! Your Goldendoodle puppy is coming home. The first week home will be filled with delightful moments, some challenges, and plenty of learning experiences for both of you. Here's what to anticipate and how to ensure a successful start for everyone.

Day One: Gotcha Day!

The Journey Home

• Bring someone to hold the puppy or use a secure crate

• Have towels handy for potential car sickness

• Take a direct route home

• Bring a toy or blanket from the breeder if possible

First Stop: The Potty Spot Before entering your house:

• Take puppy directly to the designated potty area

• Wait patiently (even if it takes 10 minutes)

• Use your chosen command ("go potty" or "do business")

• Celebrate with enthusiastic praise when they go!

Home Tour

• Keep it brief and calm

• Show them their crate, food/water area, and potty spot

• Limit access to one or two rooms initially

• Let them explore at their own pace

Meeting the Family

• Keep greetings calm and low-key

• Have children sit on the floor

• One person at a time if possible

• Watch for signs of overwhelm (hiding, whining)

The First Night

Prepare for Crying Your puppy just left their mother and littermates. Crying is normal and heartbreaking, but expected.

Bedtime Routine

• Last potty break right before bed

• Place the crate near your bed

• Use a t-shirt with your scent inside

• Some people find a ticking clock helps

• Do not take them out to play if they cry—you'll teach them crying gets playtime!

Middle-of-the-Night Bathroom Breaks

• Do not wake them up every two hours! You will create a new schedule.

• Expect 1-2 trips outside for young puppies

• Keep it boring: no talking, no playing, arms folded

• Straight outside, potty, back to crate

• They'll quickly learn nighttime isn't playtime

Establishing Routine (Days 1-7)

Create a Schedule Puppies thrive on predictability. A sample schedule:

7:00 AM - Wake up, immediately outside for potty

7:15 AM - Breakfast

7:45 AM - Outside for potty

8:00 AM - Short play session (15-20 minutes)

8:30 AM - Crate time/nap

11:00 AM - Outside for potty

11:15 AM - Training session (5-10 minutes)

11:30 AM - Play and socialization

12:00 PM - Lunch (if young puppy)

12:30 PM - Outside for potty, then crate time

3:00 PM - Outside for potty, play session

5:00 PM - Dinner

5:30 PM - Outside for potty

6:00 PM - Family time/supervised exploration

8:00 PM - Outside for potty

9:00 PM - Calm evening activities

10:00 PM - Final potty break

10:15 PM - Bedtime in crate

Important Note: Puppies need to go out:

• Every 2 hours when awake (or their age in months + 1)

• After eating

• After playing

• After napping

• First thing in morning

• Last thing at night

Common First Week Challenges

Accidents Will Happen

• If you catch them in the act: Firm "No!", scoop up, take outside

• If you find it later: Clean it up and blame yourself for not watching closely enough

• Never rub their nose in it or punish after the fact

• Use enzyme cleaner (Nature's Miracle) to eliminate odors

Separation Anxiety

• Start with very short absences (5 minutes)

• Leave without fanfare

• Return without excitement

• Gradually increase duration

• A frozen Kong can provide distraction

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Nervous Tummy

• Soft stool or diarrhea is common from stress

• Add a spoonful of canned pumpkin (not pie filling) to meals

• Contact your vet if it persists

Excessive Crying

• Ensure all needs are met (potty, food, water)

• Could indicate they need to go out

• Don't reward crying with attention

• Wait for a quiet moment to let them out

Not Eating

• Stress can suppress appetite

• Stick with breeder's food initially

• Try hand-feeding or adding warm water

• If they skip more than 2 meals, call your breeder and vet

Building Trust

What TO Do

• Be patient and calm

• Celebrate small wins

• Establish routine immediately

• Supervise constantly

• Provide safe chewing options

• Make the crate a positive space

• Begin name recognition games

What NOT to Do

• Don't yell or use physical punishment

• Don't overwhelm with too many visitors

• Don't let them roam unsupervised

• Don't skip the crate training

• Don't change food suddenly

• Don't expect perfection

  
  

End of Week One

By day seven, you should see:

• Puppy starting to settle into routine

• More confidence exploring their space

• Longer stretches between potty breaks at night

• Recognition of their name

• Trust beginning to build

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Remember: Every puppy is different. Some adjust in days, others take weeks. Be patient, stay consistent, and don't hesitate to ask for help from your breeder or vet.